---
title: Generating TypeScript Interfaces
label: Generating Types
order: 20
desc: Generate your own TypeScript interfaces based on your collections and globals.
keywords: headless cms, typescript, documentation, Content Management System, cms, headless, javascript, node, react, nextjs
---

While building your own custom functionality into Payload, like [Plugins](../plugins/overview), [Hooks](../hooks/overview), [Access Control](../access-control/overview) functions, [Custom Views](../custom-components/custom-views), [GraphQL queries / mutations](../graphql/overview), or anything else, you may benefit from generating your own TypeScript types dynamically from your Payload Config itself.

## Types generation script

Run the following command in a Payload project to generate types based on your Payload Config:

```
payload generate:types
```

You can run this command whenever you need to regenerate your types, and then you can use these types in your Payload code directly.

## Disable declare statement

By default, `generate:types` will add a `declare` statement to your types file, which automatically enables type inference within Payload.

If you are using your `payload-types.ts` file in other repos, though, it might be better to disable this `declare` statement, so that you don't get any TS errors in projects that use your Payload types, but do not have Payload installed.

```ts
// payload.config.ts
{
  // ...
  typescript: {
    declare: false, // defaults to true if not set
  },
}
```

If you do disable the `declare` pattern, you'll need to manually add a `declare` statement to your code in order for Payload types to be recognized. Here's an example showing how to declare your types in your `payload.config.ts` file:

```ts
import { Config } from './payload-types'

declare module 'payload' {
  export interface GeneratedTypes extends Config {}
}
```

## Custom output file path

You can specify where you want your types to be generated by adding a property to your Payload Config:

```ts
// payload.config.ts
{
  // ...
	typescript: {
    // defaults to: path.resolve(__dirname, './payload-types.ts')
		outputFile: path.resolve(__dirname, './generated-types.ts'),
	},
}
```

The above example places your types next to your Payload Config itself as the file `generated-types.ts`.

## Custom generated types

Payload generates your types based on a JSON schema. You can extend that JSON schema, and thus the generated types, by passing a function to `typescript.schema`:

```ts
// payload.config.ts
{
  // ...
  typescript: {
    schema: [
      ({ jsonSchema }) => {
        // Modify the JSON schema here
        jsonSchema.definitions.Test = {
          type: 'object',
          properties: {
            title: { type: 'string' },
            content: { type: 'string' },
          },
          required: ['title', 'content'],
        }
        return jsonSchema
      },
    ]
  }
}

// This will generate the following type in your payload-types.ts:

export interface Test {
  title: string;
  content: string;
  [k: string]: unknown;
}
```

This function takes the existing JSON schema as an argument and returns the modified JSON schema. It can be useful for plugins that wish to generate their own types.

## Example Usage

For example, let's look at the following simple Payload Config:

```ts
import type { Config } from 'payload'

const config: Config = {
  serverURL: process.env.NEXT_PUBLIC_SERVER_URL,
  admin: {
    user: 'users',
  },
  collections: [
    {
      slug: 'users',
      fields: [
        {
          name: 'name',
          type: 'text',
          required: true,
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      slug: 'posts',
      admin: {
        useAsTitle: 'title',
      },
      fields: [
        {
          name: 'title',
          type: 'text',
        },
        {
          name: 'author',
          type: 'relationship',
          relationTo: 'users',
        },
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

By generating types, we'll end up with a file containing the following two TypeScript interfaces:

```ts
export interface User {
  id: string
  name: string
  email?: string
  resetPasswordToken?: string
  resetPasswordExpiration?: string
  loginAttempts?: number
  lockUntil?: string
}

export interface Post {
  id: string
  title?: string
  author?: string | User
}
```

## Custom Field Interfaces

For `array`, `block`, `group` and named `tab` fields, you can generate top level reusable interfaces. The following group field config:

```ts
{
  type: 'group',
  name: 'meta',
  interfaceName: 'SharedMeta', <-- here!!
  fields: [
    {
      name: 'title',
      type: 'text',
    },
    {
      name: 'description',
      type: 'text',
    },
  ],
}
```

will generate:

```ts
// a top level reusable interface!!
export interface SharedMeta {
  title?: string
  description?: string
}

// example usage inside collection interface
export interface Collection1 {
  // ...other fields
  meta?: SharedMeta
}
```

<Banner type="warning">
  **Naming Collisions**

  Since these types are hoisted to the top level, you need to be aware that naming collisions can
  occur. For example, if you have a collection with the name of `Meta` and you also create a
  interface with the name `Meta` they will collide. It is recommended to scope your interfaces by
  appending the field type to the end, i.e. `MetaGroup` or similar.
</Banner>

## Using your types

Now that your types have been generated, payloads local API will now be typed. It is common for users to want to use this in their frontend code, we recommend generating them with Payload and then copying the file over to your frontend codebase. This is the simplest way to get your types into your frontend codebase.

### Adding an npm script

<Banner type="warning">
  **Important**

  Payload needs to be able to find your config to generate your types.
</Banner>

Payload will automatically try and locate your config, but might not always be able to find it. For example, if you are working in a `/src` directory or similar, you need to tell Payload where to find your config manually by using an environment variable. If this applies to you, you can create an npm script to make generating your types easier.

To add an npm script to generate your types and show Payload where to find your config, open your `package.json` and update the `scripts` property to the following:

```
{
  "scripts": {
    "generate:types": "PAYLOAD_CONFIG_PATH=src/payload.config.ts payload generate:types",
  },
}
```

Now you can run `pnpm generate:types` to easily generate your types.
